Jim Irsay Defends Ryan Grigson's, Chuck Pagano's Performances

The Indianapolis Colts are off to a disappointing 2-4 start, but team owner Jim Irsay made it clear Friday he is standing behind his general manager and head coach. 

Colts GM Ryan Grigson and head coach Chuck Pagano have been under fire as of late, taking much of the blame for Indy's early-season struggles. On the subject of Grigson, Irsay believes pundits are ignoring his overall body of work, according to Jarrett Bell of USA Today (h/t IndyStar.com): "The heap of criticism that has fallen on [Grigson], it is so unjust. No one bothers to see what the accomplishments have been the first five years."

Irsay also stood behind his decision to retain Pagano during the offseason despite constant rumors that the coach was on the outs. 

"When I made the decision in January, it was a long-term decision," he said. "I know we're under a lot of pressure. But this year isn't over."

Grigson and Pagano have been at the helm since 2012, and the results have been mixed.

The Colts went 11-5 and reached the playoffs in each of their first three seasons together, including an appearance in the AFC Championship Game at the conclusion of the 2014 campaign.

Indy missed the postseason in 2015, however, going 8-8 and struggling offensively with superstar quarterback Andrew Luck injured for much of the year.

Although Luck is back and healthy, the Colts are just 2-4, which puts them last in the AFC South and two games behind the division-leading Houston Texans.

The Indianapolis defense has been a major Achilles' heel, and in a recent interview with Fox Sports Radio (h/t ESPN.com's Mike Wells), Grigson blamed those deficiencies on Luck's large contract: "We have a defense that is work in progress. When you pay Andrew what we did, it's going to take some time to build on the other side of the ball."

Despite the Colts' poor start, the playoffs remain within reach due to the overall weakness of the division.

Houston is without J.J. Watt and has a struggling quarterback in Brock Osweiler, while the Tennessee Titans and Jacksonville Jaguars are still learning how to win consistently.

Missing the playoffs in such a favorable situation would be a major black mark on the resumes of both Grigson and Pagano, and despite Irsay's vote of confidence in both men, a second straight year out of the postseason would likely require some re-evaluating of the power structure. 

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